In this day and age, getting ahead financially can be difficult. Thanks to our plummeting economy, extra money may not be as readily available as it was in the past and the majority of your paycheck may already be destined for other uses. It is important to keep your finances in mind when you are planning a food pantry and search out frugal solutions rather than break the bank.
In my last post, I stressed that there are options out there in your food pantry planning. You can purchase your food items in bulk to save money, or buy a little at a time and find deals along the way. Like a squirrel storing food for the winter, this method lets you purchase smaller amounts of food over time to amount to a large stockpile of food to rely on. Either option works. You just need to decide what is best for you and your food storage needs.
Where to Find Bulk Food Items
As many of you know, having a food storage is an investment that may not always come cheap. One of the best places to buy bulk, shelf-stable foodstuffs that I have found is at the Latter Day Saints food storage warehouses.
This church has opened its doors to non-members to create a more prepared community. They have cases of cases of canned dry goods like beans, rice, dry milk, etc., available and the beauty of it is it is already packed and ready for long-term storage. This frees up so much time!
Here’s a link to their locations. As well, purchasing the larger, bulkier bags at Costco, Sam’s, or Walmart is also very economical, but make sure you transfer your food items into long-term storage containers to protect your food investment because the flimsy plastic packaging they are currently in cannot stand up to long-term storage.
How to Stock Up a Little at a Time
Make your pantry planning a priority by shifting your mindset. It takes time and effort to find the best deals around town. Those deeply discounted items can save you lots of money in the long run, and it is in your best interest to spend time hunting them down.
Many stores go through cycles of discounts, coupons, and clearances. Asking grocery store managers when these cycles are can help you to create a calendar of frugal pantry buying.
As well, locate grocery store outlets. These hidden gems have food items that are already discounted, and then there could be sales on top of the existing discount. That is a home run for food purchasing. If you happen to be health conscious, many of these stores have organic and natural foods on their shelves that you can purchase too.
The dollar store is another diamond in the rough that you can take advantage of. There are many brand name food items costing a mere dollar that you can stock up on. Luckily, dollar stores have found their way into or near every town in America, so you should have no problem finding your local store.
In my last article, I mentioned the importance of staying organized in your shopping excursions. So, when you are hitting these discount stores, stay focused on the well-rounded food pantry you are trying to create and try to resist bulking up on junk food or items you do not need.
Next time, we will talk more about how to store your food items for long-term and avoid any pests along the way.
Tess Pennington started Ready Nutrition as a way to help her family live more economically. She is the author of The Prepper’s Blueprint, a comprehensive guide that uses real-life scenarios to help you prepare for any disaster, and the highly-rated Prepper’s Cookbook, which helps you to create a plan for stocking, organizing, and maintaining a proper emergency food supply and includes over 300 recipes for nutritious, delicious, life-saving meals. Subscribe to Tess’ newsletter, and connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
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